Carlos Rodriguez has been standing out as a great cyclist and possibly the main hope for INEOS Grenadiers in the 2024 Tour de France. The Spaniard was present at the presentation of the Vuelta a España last night and did not hide the possibility of also participating in the main Spanish competition.
Start of 2024 at the Clásica Jaen Paraiso Interior
“If all goes well, I will start the year at the Clásica Jaen Paraiso Interior. This season, I hope to take another step and win,” said Rodríguez to AS at the Vuelta presentation last night. “It’s hard to know how I will perform, but the important thing is that we are doing our homework well and with a lot of enthusiasm.”
In the Spanish competition, Carlos Rodriguez will face none other than his compatriot Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates), who has already confirmed his presence in the challenging race.
Watch the video with Juan Ayuso’s confirmation in the competition:
Rodríguez won the 14th stage of the Tour de France this year, taking advantage of the deadlock between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, and finished in fifth place in the general classification. This was an improvement from the previous year, where he finished seventh in the Vuelta a España.
At 22 years old, he becomes the main cyclist for INEOS Grenadiers in the Tour de France and one of the key figures in the general classification in the peloton. His goals for the upcoming season haven’t been widely discussed, but he hinted that he will go to the Tour de France once again, likely partnering with Tom Pidcock, while Geraint Thomas will attempt the Giro d’Italia.
Vuelta a España is a possibility
“First, we have to finish the Tour, go through the season, and then we’ll see how the body is to do La Vuelta,” he says when questioned by his compatriots about returning to the Grand Tour in his homeland. “What that means is that there will be excitement until the end. As for the queen stage… I would say it’s the stage in Granada.”